Between 26 July and 8 August 2026, the Ybl Miklós Faculty of Architecture and Civil Engineering of Óbuda University successfully organised the first REMPART chantier ever held in Hungary. The pilot heritage conservation camp took place in the village of Várvölgy with the support of the National Cultural Fund of Hungary (NKA), complemented by the generous contribution of the Municipality of Várvölgy, local donations and the logistical support of Óbuda University, including the use of the university minibus. We gratefully acknowledge all partners whose commitment made this unique initiative possible.

The Ybl Faculty has maintained a close partnership with Union REMPART for several decades. Throughout these years, our students have regularly participated in the French heritage conservation workcamps organised by REMPART, known as chantiers. Since the 1960s, Union REMPART has brought together thousands of volunteers to preserve and restore architectural heritage through practical conservation projects, gradually extending its activities into an international network of heritage workcamps.

Building on this long-standing cooperation, the Várvölgy project initiated by Dr. habil. Zsuzsa Fáczányi Vice Dean for Research and Balázs Váradi lecturer marks an important milestone as the first Hungarian REMPART chantier. It serves as a pilot initiative for establishing a nationwide series of annual heritage conservation camps in Hungary. In cooperation with the Hungarian Union of Chief Architects, the project aims to identify each year a new heritage site where international volunteers and students of the Ybl Faculty can work together on the preservation and rehabilitation of valuable elements of the built environment. The long-term vision is to create a sustainable Hungarian REMPART programme combining university education, professional heritage conservation and international volunteering. The successful launch of the first Hungarian REMPART chantier would not have been possible without the dedication and encouragement of our international partners. We express our sincere gratitude to Marie-Georges Pagel-Brousse, President of Union REMPART, whose vision and continuous support have been instrumental in developing the concept of a Hungarian REMPART chantier. We are equally grateful to Johanna O’Byrne and Billie Bazin, International Affairs Delegate of Union REMPART, for her invaluable contribution to establishing the international cooperation that has led to the realisation of this pilot project.

We also wish to thank the French Institute in Hungary (Institut Français de Hongrie) for supporting this initiative from its early stages and for encouraging the development of this unique Franco-Hungarian heritage conservation partnership.

The chantier was preceded by a one-semester elective architectural design studio led by Dr. habil. Csaba Rohoska. During the course, students surveyed the site and prepared detailed restoration concepts for the surroundings of the historic Pap kútja (Priest's Spring), once an important local water source. Their design sought not only to rehabilitate the neglected spring area but also to reinterpret its historical significance as a place of memory for the local community.

The practical workshop in Várvölgy was led by Balázs Váradi, architect, lecturer of the Ybl Faculty and former Chief Architect of Várvölgy. The international REMPART methodology and practical know-how were ensured through the participation of Billie Bazin, coordinator of Union REMPART. Representing the Ybl Faculty, Dr. habil. Zsuzsa Fáczányi and Dr. Aurél Benárd also took part in the professional supervision of the workshop.

The international and intergenerational team consisted of French volunteers Hervé and Maël, together with Ybl students Bálint Horváth, Anna Szendrei and Martin Helfrich, who had previously developed the design proposals during the preparatory course together with Imola Bodnár. One of the defining features of REMPART chantiers is their intergenerational and international community. Participants of different ages, cultural backgrounds and professions work and live together, sharing knowledge, practical skills and life experiences. This exchange broadens perspectives and enriches the process of discovering and preserving built heritage, making each chantier a valuable learning experience as well as a conservation project.

The participants were warmly welcomed upon arrival with a traditional Hungarian dinner prepared in a bogrács (cauldron), providing an excellent opportunity to get to know one another before beginning the intensive work programme.

From Monday to Wednesday, the team focused on the first phase of the construction works. Following preliminary mowing carried out by the municipality, volunteers completed extensive site clearance and terrain shaping. They recreated the symbolic bed of the former watercourse and covered it with a layer of locally sourced dolomite gravel, which will later receive a finishing layer of river pebbles.

Further work concentrated on the remains of a historic stone wine press located in the forest above the spring. Although partially collapsed, many of its original stones could still be recovered. These were carefully transported to the spring area, where they will be reused in the construction of a new stone bench designed by the students.

Attention was also given to the deteriorating stone entrance marking the spring. As one of its stones had become unstable, it was carefully dismantled with the intention of rebuilding the structure during the second phase of the camp as a vaulted stone gateway. This renewed entrance will once again provide a place where locals can continue the long-standing tradition of placing flowers, small sculptures and devotional objects in memory of the former water source.

Among these objects is an eighteenth-century stone statue of the Virgin Mary, whose head had unfortunately broken off over time. The sculpture was entrusted to local sculptor Lajos Orr of Várvölgy for professional cleaning and restoration before being returned to its historical setting.

Beyond the construction activities, the chantier offered a rich cultural programme. Participants explored the surrounding region, prepared meals together, visited important cultural and architectural sites, and spent one memorable evening at the internationally renowned Valley of Arts Festival (Művészetek Völgye), strengthening the intercultural spirit that has always characterised REMPART workcamps.

The success of the Várvölgy pilot project confirms the value of combining university education, heritage conservation and international volunteering. The Ybl Faculty, together with Union REMPART and the Hungarian Union of Chief Architects, intends to continue developing the Hungarian series of REMPART chantiers in the coming years. The Várvölgy pilot chantier demonstrates that international cooperation, academic education and local communities can successfully join forces to preserve built heritage. We hope that this first Hungarian REMPART chantier marks the beginning of a long tradition, welcoming international volunteers and Ybl students to new heritage conservation projects across Hungary year after year.